Dynamometer.



l. A. RANDALL.

DYNAMOMETER.

APPLICATION FILED Nov.16, |911.

LSI@ Patented A101220, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

[NI/ENTOR J. A. RANDALL.

DYNAMOMETEH.

APPLICATION FILED 11011.16. 1911.

Patented p.. 20, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1. A. RANDALL.

DYNANIOMETER.

APPLICATxoN FILED Nov. 1s, 1911.

Patented M1120, 1915,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3* Q/Mfbm/Q JIUHN A, NDALIL, F BROOKLYN, NEW YRK.

JDYNOMETER. l

Maaate.

Speciication of Letters Patent.

)Patented Apr., 26, 1915.

original appication iled December 8, 1910, Serial No. 596,183. Dividedand this application filed November To all whom it may concern Be itknown that ll, JOHN A. RANDALL, a citizen of the United States, residingat Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Dynamometers, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to dynamometers and its novelty consists in theconstruction and adaptation of the parts, as will be more specificallyhereinafter pointed out.

lfn brief, the invention consists of an improvement in indicatingtransmission dynamometers whereby a clutch is adapted to couple thedriving with a driven member, a dynamometer automatically measures theamount of power transmitted between them and records it, and when anoverload is reached the clutch is automatically released.

lin a prior application tiled by me December 8, 1910, Serial No.596,183, of which this the present application is a division, I haveclaimed the matter described in the present application pertaining to arecording dynamometer and in an application No. 660,478, filed Nov. 15,1911, I have claimed the matter described herein pertaining to anindicating dynamometer.

1n the drawings, Figure 1 represents va Side elevation of a mechanismembodying a preferred form of my invention; Fig. 2 is a central sectionthrough the saine and a front elevation of some of the parts, showingthe clutch in an engaging position; Fig. 3 is a view similar to thatshown in Fig. 2, but showing the clutch in a disengaging position andalso showing the wiring in diagrammatical outline; Fig. 4 is a reducedside elevation of the dial plate; Fig. 5 is a perspective of the drivenshaft annulus; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the driving disk, partsbeing cut away to show concealed parts;

v Fig. 7 is a'perspective of the releaser frame;

Fig. 8 is a perspective of the releaser and shifter, and Fig. 9 is arepresentation of a tool for operating the shifter.

1n the drawings, 10 is a driving shaft actuated from a suitable primemover indicated at 11. Fixed to it and revolving with it is a clutchingplate 12, having a hub 13 provided with a key way 14 into which isinserted a key 15 whereby it is secured to the shaft 10, and also havinga series of inserts 16 of cork or other suitable clutching mate- Iial.Loosely mounted on the shaft 10 is a Serial No. 660,549.

second clutch plate 20 having a peripheral flange 21, provided atseveral points with lugs 22 for a purpose which will presently appear,and provided also with an inwaidlv projecting annular hub or enlargement23. A driven shaft 30 is mounted to rotate in close prontimity to thedriving shaft 10 from which it 1s separated by a small but appreciablespace 17. Upon the outer end of this shaft 30 and adjacent to the innerend of the driving shaft 10 is a cylindrical hub 3l provided with a keyway indicated at 32 bv which it 1s rigidly secured to the shaft 3i) by asu1table key (not shown). This hub is provided with an outwardlyprojecting annular flange 33 adapted partially to embrace the hub 23 ofthe clutch plate 20. It is provided with an inwardly projecting tooth 34having angularly disposed sides 35, 35. A coiled spring 36 is secured atone end to the annular flange 21 of the clutch plate 20 by a screw 37 orsimilar means and at the other end to the hub 31 by a screw 38 orsimilar means. 1

Mounted loosely upon the shaft 30 is a cylindrical shifting andreleasing device 40 provided with two annular grooves, one 41 adapted toreceive a forked tool (see Fig. 8) whereby it may be movedlongitudinally along the shaft 30 and the other adapted to receive aframework indicated at 42 (see also Fig; 7). It is also provided with aprojecting tooth 44 having angularly disposed sides 45, 45, arranged tocontact with or eligage the tooth 34 on the hub 31. Also se- -cured tothe shaft 30 by a strap 46 or other suitable means is a conductingpointer 47. A pulley 48 and belt 49 represent a connection between thedriven shaft 30 and any machines which it may be intended to actuate.

1n front of the clutch plate 12 is arranged an annular disk or fiat shoe50, provided with projecting pins 51, engaging apertures formed toreceive them in the lugs 22 and with an interposed coiled spring 52around each pin whereby the disk 50 is normally kept out of contact withthe clutch plate 12.

Between the frame 42 and the disk 50 is a link and lever mechanismindicated at 54' and made up of a series of sets of links and levers(see Fig. 1) whereby when the shifter 40 is moved toward the right (inFig.. 2) the clutching plate 12 is pressed against the clutched plate 20and the cork inserts 16 are lows z-Supposing that the parts are in the,

brought into contact with the outer surface of the plate 20 andconsequently the rotary motionl of the shaftlO'is' imparted throng thisfrictional contact to the plate 20.

Secured to the link and lever mechanism 54 at a suitable. oint is an.lelectrical conductor 55 removably and adjustably mounted in a bracket 56and held in place by a set screw 57. Secured by a bracket 58 to theceiling orV any other convenient lace adjacent to the mechanism is asimi ar conducltor 59 suitably insulated from the ceiling. A bracket 6 0also secured to the ceiling or other .convenient support and insulatedtherefrom carries. a dial plate 61 suitably graduated at its edge 62 interms of any appropriate notation. The center of the dial is coincidentwith the center of the shafts 10 and 30 and in the form illustrated theshaft 30 passes through the dial.

Proper electrical connections are shown in diagram in Fig. 3 in which 8Ois the battery, 81 is the primary coil, 82 is the vibrator orinterrupter of the primary circuit, 83 is the secondary coil and 84 and85 are the secondary circuits.

The framework 42 comprises annular members 420 terminating in lugs 421to which the link and lever mechanism is secured. The members 420encircle the cylindrical body of the shifter 40 and engage the sides ofthe groove in which they are placed. The frame 42 may be placed at anyposition with respect to the shifter 40 and the latter may be adjustedso lthat its tooth 44 may have any position circularly with respect tothe tooth 34 on the hub 31. A forked tool having prongs 71 is adaptedtoengage the groove 41 whereby the-shifter may be manually moved on theshaft 30.

The mode of using the deviceis as folosition shown in Fig. 3 and theshifter 40 y means of the tool 70 is moved to the right until itoccupies the position shown in Fig. 2,-the frame 42' will -be movedtothe right and through the link and lever` mechanism 54 the plateorshoe 50 willl be pressed inwardly against the clutching plate 12 and theinserts 16 .of the latter will frictionally engage the clutch plate 20and the latter will turn under the motion derived from the shaft 10. Assoon as the plate 20 begins to annular hub 31'and through it to thedriventurn it winds up the spring 36 until the resistance of the shaft30 is overcome and motion is'imparted through the spring to the 'shaft30 to which' it is secured. It is obvious that the angle'through whichthe plate 31 is a function of the power transmitted between the two`shafts if the speed of the driven shaft is known. Since the plate 20is'rigidlyconnected to the framework 42 through the link and levermechanism, the

.f tooth 44 always has,

when rotating, a fixed phase angle relatively to any point on the plate20 and therefore its motion is the (same as that of late 20. Since thetooth 34 is fixed to the hu 31, the motion of the tooth 34 is the sameas that of the hub 31. The,

change of the phase angle of the tooth 34 relative to the tooth 44 is ameasure of the torque or power transmitted to the shaft 30 if the speedof the shaft is known. Now the relative phase angle of the tooth 34 andthe tooth 44 is indicated and recorded by the electrical attachmentdescribed up to the special occasion when this angle between the teethbecomes zero which will be hereinafter considered.

As the tooth 34, the link and lever mechanism 54 and the conductingpointer 55 have a fixed angular phase relation, and as the tooth 44, thehub 31, the shaft 30, the strap 46 and the pointer 47 also have a fixedangular phase relation, the change in phase relation of the tooth 34 andthe tooth 44 will be the same as the change in phase relation When,however, the driving shaft is transmitting power to the driven shaft,the spark will jump from the conductor 59 to the conductor 55 when theyare opposite, but since the pointer 47 will now be in a 'different phaserelation to the conductor 55, the spark will jump to a differentgraduation on the dial 6l and not to the zero graduation, and theobserved numerical value of this graduation will be a measure of thetorque and consequently of the power transmitted. A permanent record ofthe torque, andA consequently of the power at a given fixed speed, isformed by the abrasion of the graduated disk, or suitable materialplaced on the face of the disk, caused by the spark.

In case the torque increases to an amount which will reduce the phaseangle between the surfaces of the tooth 34 and`44 to zero and is tendingto further increase, then the tooth 44 will contact with the tooth 34and the opposing surfaces of the teeth will slide` 0 framework 42 andthrough it the link and 20 1s turned w1th respect to the annular hubdriven shaft will stop.

The link and lever mechanism may be iaeaa circularly adj'us withreference to the shifter 40 and consequently the angular displacement ofthe tooth 4:4 with respect to thetoothetv before-contact takes place maybesogvaried' as to cause-this release to occur at` any load --which theoperator may desire. Inother words, it isavvariable overloadreleasecapable of being set at any predetermined: amount;

lltfwillube seen. that in eect the mechanismcomprises a coupling. of thedriving and driven shaft, a dynamometer or means for measuring the powertransmitted, means for measuring the torque, an automatic overloadrelease and means for indicating and recording the measurement of power.

What I claim as new is l. The combination of a driving shaft and aclutching plate rigidly securedthereto, va driven shaft, a clutchedplate loosely mounted thereon, an elastic connection between the drivenshaft and the clutched plate, and means for recording the torquetransmitted through said elastic part, including a spark gap devicecomprising two contacts for automatically measuring or `recording theangular relation of the two shafts.

2. The combination of a'driving shaft and a clutching plate rigidlysecured thereto, a driven shaft, a clutched plate loosely mountedthereon, a coupling device `whereby the clutch is moved to operationposition,means for automatically disengaging said clutched plate fromsaid clutching plate, a coiled spring interposed between the clutchedplate and the driven shaft, and means for recording the torque of thedriving shaft in winding up the spring.

3. ln a device of the character described, a driving shaft, a drivenshaft, an intermediate clutch comprising a coiled spring, and

a coupling device longitudinally movable on the driven shaft incombination with a spark gap device comprising two contacts forautomatically measuring the angular relation of the two shafts includinga suitable dial, a pointer moving in harmony with the driven shaft andmeans for intermittently passing an electrical current between the dialand pointer as the driven shaft revolves.

4. ln a device of the character described,

, a driving shaft, a driven shaft, an intermediate clutch comprising acoiled spring, and

a coupling device longitudinally movable on 'and a couplin devicelongitudinally movplaced in operative position against the clutch whenthe coupling device is moved vin one direction, in combination with aspark gap `device comprising two contacts for automatically measuring orrecording the angular relation of the two shafts including a suitabledial, a pointer moving in harmony with the driven shaft'and means forintermittently passingan electrical current between the dial and pointeras the driven shaft revolves.

6. In a device of the character described, a driving shaft, a drivenshaft, an intermediate clutcli comprising a coiled spring, andI acoupling device longitudinallv movable on the driven shaft andcomprising a link and lever mechanism adapted to be placed in operativeposition against the' clutch when the coupling device is moved in onedirection, and to be disengaged therefrom when it is moved in theopposite direction in combination with a spark gap device comprising twocontacts for automatically measuring or recording the angular relationof the two shafts.

7. In a device of the character described, a driving shaft, a drivenshaft, an intermediate clutch comprising a coiled spring, and a couplingdevice longitudinally movable on the driven shaft and comprising a vlinkand lever mechanism adapted to be placed inoperative position againstthe clutch when the coupling device is moved in one direction, and to bedisengaged therefrom when it is moved in the opposite direction incombination with a spark gap device comprising two contacts forautomatically measuring or recording the angular relation of the twoshafts including a suitable dial, a'pointer moving in harmony withv thedriven shaft and means forintermittently passing an electrical currentbetween the dial and pointer as the driven shaft revolves.

8. In a device of the character described, a driving shaft, a drivenshaft, a clutch, a coupling device whereby the clutch is moved to anoperative position, a hub rigidly secured to the driven shaft andcarrying a projecting tooth, and a tooth on the coupling device adaptedto contact with the first named tooth and thereby move the conpling tothrow the clutch to an inoperative position, in combination with aconducting pointery on the driven shaft, a conducting pointer on thecoupling and a spark gap system with which they are in circuit.

9. Thelcombination with a driving shaft,

l a driven shaft, an intermediate clutch, and

lll@

a coiled spring through which the power is transmitted, of a conductingpointer -carried by each shaft, and aA spark gap system connected withboth pointers for automatically measuring or recelving a record of theangular relation of the two shafts including asuitable dial.

10.The combination with a driving shaft a driven shaft, an intermediateclutch, and

a coiled spring through which the power is transmitted, of a conductingpointer carried by each shaft, and a spark gap system connected withboth pointers and means for receivingv a record of the torque of Athedriven shaft.

`l1. The combination with a driving shaft a driven shaft, anintermediate clutch, and a coiled spring through which the power istransmitted, of a conducting pointer carried by each shaft, and a sparkga system connected with both pointers 'and fmeans for measuring orreceiving a record of lture in\-pre sence of two witnesses.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signae JOHNA. RANDALL.

Witnesses:

ALAN C. McDoNNELL, E. W. Somma, Jr.

